Protesters target Simi church
Group sought citizen's arrest of illegal immigrant inside
By Tom Kisken (Contact)
Monday, September 17, 2007


Rob Varela / Star staff Naui Huitzilopochtli of Westminster was sprayed in the face with a chemical agent as he demonstrated at the United Church of Christ. He was taken by ambulance to Simi Valley Hospital. Police said the spraying was being investigated.


Rob Varela / Star staff Robin Hvidston of Upland, center, joins participants in a Save Our State protest Sunday at the United Church of Christ in Simi Valley. An illegal immigrant who is wanted for deportation is living in the church's former parsonage.

Dozens of angry, loud people stood on each side of a Simi Valley church's driveway using bullhorns and overworked vocal cords to hurl insults at each other in an immigration protest Sunday.

They faced off at the United Church of Christ, where a congregation of about 80 people is sheltering an illegal immigrant from Oxnard and her U.S.-born infant son. Wanted for deportation, the woman is living in the church's former parsonage as part of a national New Sanctuary Movement aimed at keeping families together.

The protest was organized by an anti-illegal immigration group called Save Our State that came with the hopes of making a citizen's arrest. Members were met by a small but loud group of counterprotesters calling for amnesty and the end of deportation raids.

Adding to the dynamic were about nine skinheads who tried to join the Save Our State group but were rejected and then directed by police to their own swath of sidewalk. They quietly waved American flags and signs protesting illegal immigration.

No arrests were made — citizen or otherwise — but Naui Huitzilopochtli of Westminster, an immigration advocate, was writhing in pain after being sprayed in the face with a chemical agent, allegedly by an opposing protester. He was taken by ambulance to Simi Valley Hospital. Simi Valley Police Capt. John McGinty confirmed the incident and said it was being investigated.

Some church members watched the demonstration from the driveway but stayed out of the direct fire and even tried unsuccessfully to convince immigration advocates not to stage a counterprotest.

The Rev. June Goudey wouldn't answer questions but said in a statement that the church would continue to provide shelter to Liliana, the Oxnard woman who won't give her last name.

"What we have is a faith stronger than fear and a belief that doing justice is a high and holy calling," Goudey said.

About 120 people came to the protest, many of them from outside Ventura County. United Church of Christ members seemed to be the only ones holding their tongues. Protesters calling for Liliana's deportation carried signs with slogans like "Mothers Against Illegal Aliens" and "Don't Attend this Law Breaker Church."

They alternated between pleas for Liliana to give herself up, and loud, sometimes profane exchanges with counterprotesters.

"We're frustrated Americans," said Save Our State spokeswoman Chelene Nightingale, "and we represent all of the millions of Americans that were calling on Congress to stop amnesty. We're here to let other Americans know that we're here fighting for our nation and for our children."

They wanted to do more than shout. Nightingale said Save Our State members wanted to make a citizen's arrest but realized during the protest they weren't going to get anywhere near Liliana.

So she asked group members to call a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hotline and demand Liliana's arrest.

Closely watched by about 15 police officers, the protesters ranged in age from an 18-year-old community college student from Simi Valley to 80-year-old Dee Barrow of Upland, who wore a wide-brimmed hat as protection against the sun.

"I'm here because I'm for the movement for the illegals to go home," said Barrow.

The counterprotesters carried signs that read "No to Minuteman Terrorism in Ventura County." Though they didn't have bullhorns, the counterprotesters also were loud and profane. They chanted about what they perceive as the driving motivation behind the anti-illegal immigration movement.

"We're opposing racism in all forms," said Daniel Smallwood of Ventura, part of a group called the Anti-Fascist Coalition.

"Basically, we knew the press was going to be here. We didn't want the Minutemen to get all the attention."

Nightingale said her group is multiracial and does not want to be affiliated with any organization that espouses racism.

As for Liliana, a church official said she attended the Sunday morning service held as the rally raged outside. She had no comment on the protest.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2 ... mi-church/